“Mood”

The neo-soul vocalist Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85, aka dvsn, are wizards when it comes to detail. There’s plenty of proof baked into their newest single, “Mood.” The song takes the smallest elements, like the distant squeaking underpinning a piano line and the elegance of a yearning falsetto, and treats them like treasures. It’s this devotion to the little things that makes their work feel like more than just tribute to their spiritual ancestors like Maxwell and D’Angelo.

“Mood” is built around an idea that should be familiar to anyone maintaining a long-term relationship: How do you keep the flame alive when there are dozens of other people and interests vying for your time? Daley knows there’s no shame in carving out space for romance, and his partner has his undivided attention: “Now I’m gonna make a time to make love/I’m gonna make a point to just focus on us.” His hard work must pay off, because he’s purring over little more than a simple rhythm by the time he hits the chorus, with a fascinating choice of phrase: “Look what you made me do.” Those words have been weaponized by the world’s biggest pop star in recent weeks, but they don’t sound dangerous in Daley’s hands. He just sounds astonished at what can come from penciling some much-needed intimacy into his calendar.